I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

When Mickey Rooney died last month, I got a jones to watch some of his movies so when I went to the library, and this was among the films there, I had to get it especially since I knew this was the first one he made with Judy Garland. He plays a jockey and Ms. Garland plays the niece of the owner of the boardinghouse for jockeys. But the main character is played by Ronald Sinclair, another teen who's from England (actually Sinclair was from New Zealand), who has a horse he wants to enter into the America's Cup race. I'll stop there and just say it was quite fascinating watching Rooney and Garland bicker and also helping Sinclair in his troubles. Ms. Garland had one song she performed a few times in the movie. Her character dreams of stardom which, of course, is what happened to Judy in real life. Legendary singer Sophie Tucker plays her aunt but she doesn't have a number for some reason. All in all, Thoroughbreds Don't Cry was quite an entertaining programmer.

The first film to feature Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland came up short in the music department as there was only one song written for the film Got A Brand New Pair Of Shoes and it was Judy's. I've a feeling that a lot might have been left on the cutting room floor because Sophie Tucker was also in this film as Judy's grandmother and she sung not a note. Thoroughbreds Don't Cry features Mickey as a jockey famous for his daring come from behind wins in the stretch and Judy the granddaughter of Sophie Tucker who runs a jockey's boardinghouse where Mickey resides. Into their lives comes C. Aubrey Smith and his young grandson Ronald Sinclair who are titled, but cash poor with only one asset, a prize winning stakes horse called The Pooka. Yes, I do believe it is named for that spirit who manifested himself as a six foot white rabbit in Harvey.Mickey's the best there is at his profession, but he's fatally compromised because of a no-good gambler of a father in Charles D. Brown who pretends he's on death's door. That's to extort a pledge from Mickey to throw the race The Pooka is running in. Mickey does it and finds out he's been framed. He's put everybody in a jackpot because of this and there is one death that results from it.Ronald Sinclair substitutes nicely for Freddie Bartholomew who this role was originally intended. But the chemistry with Mickey and Judy was readily apparent and MGM would team them several more times until Words And Music in 1948 which was Mickey's last film for MGM. But I like more singing and dancing when I see Mickey and Judy and I think more was originally intended. Just the mere fact that Sophie Tucker was in the film leads me to believe she must have had a number that ended up on the cutting room floor. Perhaps one day we'll see a director's cut.The racing sequences at Santa Anita were handled well, the track was only a few years old at the time and the movie land crowd were frequent visitors and owners of race horses out there. I've seen newsreel footage of Mickey Rooney enjoying the sport of kings there when he was not on a shooting schedule.Thoroughbreds Don't Cry is a good start for a most auspicious star team, but a whole lot better was to come.

I don't suppose MGM thought this was going to be such a memorable movie. Mickey Rooney was not yet a top star - he was still stealing movies from other stars, ie "Little Lord Fautleroy", "Captain's Courageous", "A Mid Summer Night's Dream". Judy Garland had her voice but MGM still didn't know what to do with her (she was still "Just an In-Between"). The other young actor in the cast was Ronald Sinclair, a Freddie Bartholomew clone (Bartholomew, I suspect was at one of his court appearances and Sinclair was substituted). But when Mickey and Judy came together something special happened. The confrontation, when Mickey has decked the snotty little English kid and Judy dares him to sock her as well and then gives him a piece of her mind.Roger and his grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) arrive in America to race their horse "The Pookha" in the cup. At the track they see Timmy Donovan (Mickey Rooney) - "the best jockey on the track - but a swellhead" - and convince him to ride their horse. In the meantime Timmy's father has sent for him, claiming to be dying, and to get him to throw a race so they can collect $5,000 and buy an iron lung. Timmy does throw the race and discovers his father is not sick and is up to his old crooked tricks.He gets another chance to ride the horse in the big cup but because he has been found out over throwing the race, he is barred from the track. Roger then rides "The Pookha" to victory.Sophie Tucker is wonderful with her glib come-backs and one-liners - she plays Aunt Edie. Frankie Darro (who seemed to spend his time in films playing jockeys and fighters) plays "Dink" the crooked jockey. Elisha Cook Jnr, also has a role (uncredited) as a jockey, "Boots" MacGuire, sitting around the boarding house dinner table.Henry Kolker, a great film "heavy" plays "Doc" Godfrey.Judy is just wonderful as Cricket West - her first big role. She is such a natural, very bubbly and full of fun and also gets to sing a very catchy tune "Gotta Pair of New Shoes" that really shows off her beautiful voice.

Mickey Rooney was already a seasoned performer when he starred in this film about a young English friend and his horse. Rooney plays an egotistical jockey with all the cockiness and fireball energy of a young James Cagney. Ronald Sinclair, the child actor who later worked behind the scenes, is the young English chap. However, the irrepressible Rooney easily outshines the young Sinclair. The film also features a young girl by the name of Judy Garland. Judy repeats a similar role she had in The Broadway Melody of 1938 as the young charge of boardinghouse mama, Sophie Tucker. The blustery Tucker, who surprisingly does not sing in the film, easily steals every scene she is in. It's always good to see old stalwart C. Aubrey Smith add an air of dignity to the proceedings. Mickey and Judy are foes as well as friends in their debut film together. Judy sings a little, but the film is not a musical. It's almost as if MGM was giving the juvenile star movie format a trial run here. It's pretty much a predictable, formulaic movie, but, as is frequently the case with movies from the 30's, 40's, and 50's, the stars make it entertaining by their sheer presence and energy. **1/2 of 4 stars.